Beck promised to protect protesters' First Amendment rights, but not at the expense of community safety. He said he preferred his officers make no arrests on Tuesday night, but said they would not tolerate lawbreakers.

“You come here again tonight, you will go to jail,” he said.

“Your actions will reduce the power of the message from this community, and that is wrong. That is a shameful act,” Beck added.

Garcetti noted that while the Zimmerman verdict may have sparked passionate reactions nationwide, it would not “ignite this city.”

“We are calling on people to practice peace, to not let the dialogue sparked by Martin’s death be silenced by any violence,” he said

Immediately following the verdict, protestors held a peaceful candlelight vigil at Leimert Park in the Crenshaw District, but over the past couple of days the protestors have caused freeway closures, prevented shoppers from shopping at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall, altered bus routes and assaulted innocent people.

National Civil Rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton has scheduled another march at the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles, and has insisted that justice advocates continue to march and protest peacefully.

Garcetti was back east with relatives when the violence broke and subsequently had to postpone a trip to Washington D.C.